There are many ways to interpret Isaiah, as seen by the many Isaiah-made-easy type books that are out there.  We still struggle through, or stay clear, of that precious book.  Precious, because Nephi said if we don’t understand it, we may just miss the entire boat of the purpose of earthlife.

As far as I’m concerned, my husband is genius at interpreting this great prophet’s words.  He has gleaned good tips from many different teachers, and has studied on his own, to gain a full and abiding understanding that unlocks many important passages.

Take a look:

Chapter 6:1-8 of Isaiah is a very short chapter that describes a temple experience. When you first read it, it can be hard to understand, but instead of trying to interpret the prose of the chapter, first try drawing the imagery that Isaiah is describing.  Bro. S. Michael Wilcox, of Church Education System (CES), teaches this technique of actually draw the picture on a piece of paper of what Isaiah was describing in his vision. This technique can be very helpful with many passages in the Old Testament.

After you draw your picture, then apply the principles of the restored gospel to the objects that you have drawn on your piece of paper. You don’t have to be an artist to use this technique. You can draw the vision or imagery from the scriptures using simple stick figures. The key is to draw the picture first then ask yourself what the picture is depicting.

Below is my drawing.  But before studying it, give it a try for yourself, then compare drawings.  There is no right or wrong way for a picture to look, but the detail you draw will change as your understanding develops.  In fact, keep studying, in a few months draw your interpretation out again, and see for yourself how your understanding has deepened.

 I will give to you my own interpretation of the symbols and objects of Isaiah’s vision in the next post.